Excellent feedback from the 2019 EPHJ

Against the backdrop of a thriving watchmaking industry, the 18th EPHJ Trade Show ended with really good news on visitor numbers, which were slightly up, and positive feedback from the 820 exhibitor companies.

The first surveys show that many of the industry visitors had come to the show for the first time and were impressed by the quality and expertise of the exhibitors. It is also clear that visitors are coming from further and further afield, within Europe and from around the world. “Watchmaking is not losing any of its appeal, but medtech and the microtechnology machine industry are also attracting lots of high-calibre visitors who are increasingly seeing the overlaps between these different high-precision industries,” said Alexandre Catton, Director of EPHJ.

The confirmed upturn in watchmaking exports seems to have had a tangible impact on the volume of deals being concluded and new orders being taken. Morale is good and the indicators are all looking positive, although suppliers are waiting to see how the market develops and the expectations of the brands pan out. The same is true for the synergies between the different sectors of the trade show, with a significant increase in the exhibitors now active in medtech and a rising tendency towards seeking diversification.

This diversification is illustrated by FEMTOprint, which won the Exhibitors’ Grand Prix 2019 for a medical device that aims to combat retinal occlusions including components based on watchmaking technology.

The 18th show was also marked by the simplification of the name, which is now EPHJ, a brand which is known throughout the world, with a new logo combining all the high-precision sectors which met up in Geneva.

This year, Palexpo played host to 820 exhibitors from 18 countries, which is roughly the same figure as 2018. More than 20% of these exhibitors are international, mainly coming from Europe and especially from France (10.6%) and Germany (3.7%). At a Swiss level, the best represented canton is Neuchâtel (162), followed by Bern (126), Geneva (91), Jura (83) and Vaud (71).